The present invention relates in general roller replacing in assemblies for drawing and material such as plastic film, textiles and the like, and more particularly concerns a novel assembly with individually replaceable rollers segments that facilitates maintaining uniform web guiding characteristics with ease and alternatively little cost.
Plastic film webs are drawn and guided through various forms of equipment including film treating machinery and rolling/unrolling apparatus, which employ flexible surfaced rollers such as the so-called "squeegee" or draw rollers. Center portions of the rollers receive more wear than edge portions. Although edge portions may be usable, prior art complete rollers are replaced when the center portion wears out or is damaged, at great expense in transportation and inconvenience including downtime of production.
It is an important object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages just described.
It is a further object of the invention to provide economical and easily effected selective replacement of only worn portions of a flexible surfaced roller consistent with the preceding object.
It is a further object of the invention to provide modular subassemblies which are interchangeable consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects through worn element replacement easily and rapidly by relatively unskilled personnel.